Pasta & Wine Pairing Explained At Last

Being half-Italian, I'm a huge pasta fan - and any Italian knows that wine goes with pasta like the Leaning Tower of Pisa goes with Italy.  Of course, there are about as many varieties of pasta dishes as there are wines to choose from. Matching them up might seem a little overwhelming at first, but with a little deductive reasoning (and the fun part - tasting!), you can figure it out.

All you need to do in order to put together a great pasta dish with a fantastic wine is to think of the type of sauce you're using on the pasta. The sauce, for the most part, will determine the profile of wine you choose. Let's take a look at a few different types of sauce you would typically use on pasta, and which wines would pair well with each type.

1. Tomato-Based Sauce

Pasta with red sauce. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tomato sauces are acidic and generally have a bold flavor that commands attention. While no two tomato sauces are the same, there are a few basic ingredients in common that help us choose a wine that will pair well. With the strong flavor of a tomato-based sauce (also called a "red sauce"), one thing to keep in mind is that you want a wine to stand up under the intensity of the dish without fizzling out.  In other words, you want to taste the wine as well as the dish.

With a bold tomato sauce, you want a wine that is lush and slightly thick on 'mouthfeel' but not overly acidic. These wines can include Chianti, Cabernet, and Sangiovese. Cherry is a prominent flavor in each of these wines which helps to balance out the acid of the tomato sauce.

2. Alfredo Sauce

Where the heavy acidic tomato sauce requires a bold wine, alfredo style sauces, also called white-sauce, are lighter in flavor and more elegant and smooth. Some are very light, while others are rich with cheesy goodness and can stand up to a slightly bolder wine. But, for any white-sauce, you don't want a brash wine, but something light and refreshing. White wines are typically the best to pair with these sauces.

Wines like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Riesling are great choices when it comes to alfredo sauce. These wines are crisp and usually have a citrus note to them to help cut through the richness of the alfredo sauce. If your pasta is on the lighter side, try a dry Riesling.  But if you like your white-sauce richer or more cheesy, go with a Pinot Grigio.

White wine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Pesto Sauce

Pesto is made mostly with basil, garlic, and some type of nut, either pine nuts or walnuts, then blended with olive oil, and sometimes with added Parmesan cheese. It seems like that would be too much flavor to stand up to a white wine, but pesto actually is considered to have a rather delicate flavor palate. Basil has a very distinct flavor that is on the earthier side, yes, but it is also a very fragile flavor which can be overtaken with a heavy, dark wine. A good wine pairing is a crisp white wine with mineral notes, such as a Cinque Terre or Sauvignon Blanc. This type of white wine will help cut through the earthy tones of the basil and nuts. Neither the pesto nor the wine will get drowned out with this pairing.

4. Alternative Sauces

There are some types of pasta that don't quite fall under these three categories, but also deserve a great wine to go with them. For instance, a fantastic wine to pair with a strong cheesy pasta, such as cheese ravioli with butter and Parmesan, is a Viognier (one of my new favorite whites!). This wine, with its honeysuckle and vanilla nose and peach and honey flavors goes great with seafood sauces, too. For the incredible gnocchi dishes, more like potato dumplings than pasta, a Nebbiolo with earthy truffle flavors makes a great combination.

We could go on and on, but really it's all about experimenting... of course with these few tips in the back of your mind. Picking a wine to go with your pasta dish is as easy as thinking about what sauce will go on the pasta. If you are still unsure or your head starts spinning when you're looking at all those bottles in the store, ask the person in charge.  Most good wine shops only hire people who know their business.  Get to know them and they will be more than happy to make a few suggestions. Then, before you know it, you'll be on your way home to enjoy the perfect wine with your delicious pasta dinner!  Yum - I'm hungry already! :-)